sustaining the environment, sustaining...

Sustaining the environment,sustaining people

Degradation or overexploitation of the natural

asset base of a community is often directly linked

to the deepening of poverty. The converse can

be equally true – reversing the degradation, con-

serving, and building up natural assets is a way

back from a bleak future to an improving and

sustainable one.

WWF, the global conservation organization

– with almost 2,000 active projects, often in the

poorest parts of the world – sees increasing

evidence that well-designed conservation pro-

grammes, which involve local communities and

consider their rights, needs, and aspirations are

helping tackle poverty in some of the world’s

most vulnerable communities. In the search for

alternatives to environmentally threatening activi-

ties, new income and employment opportunities

are opening up, the risks communities face from

adverse markets and events are being reduced,

and more confi dent and capable communities are

negotiating better outcomes from outside bodies.

Sustaining the environment,

PAGE 4

KayarSenegalRestoring fi sh stocks

PAGE 5

Lake DongtingChinaRenewing fl oodplains for people and wildlife

PAGE 6

SibuyanThe PhilippinesRecognizingland rights

PAGE 8

Ngarambe TanzaniaPromotingsustainableenergy

PAGE 9

Terai ArcNepalConserving wildlife habitat through community forestry

S U S TA I N I N G T H E E N V I R O N M E N T 3

In China, we are helping the sustainable

development of the Lake Dongting area, the

country’s second largest lake, by setting up

alternative livelihood projects for farmers who

lost their homes and income following the

dramatic fl ooding along the Yangtze River in the

1990s. Today, with WWF’s help, the income of

many of these farmers has doubled.

The Sibuyan indigenous community of the

Philippines has been successful in securing

tenure and improving natural resource man-

agement in and around the Mt Guiting-Guiting

Natural Park, giving them the incentive to

conserve the forest’s resources and providing a

source for sustainable livelihoods.

Our work in the Senegalese coastal town

of Kayar shows that support for traditional

fi sheries controls and the establishment of

effective marine protected areas means more

and bigger fi sh, more food, and more to take

to market.

With often surprisingly small amounts of

external assistance and intervention, commu-

nities have become more resilient and avoid-

ed seemingly inevitable futures of increasing

poverty linked to continuing degradation of

their resource base. Indeed, as the following

case studies demonstrate, natural resource

management and environmental restoration are

now holding out the hope of improved quality of

life, income, and security to poor communities

in what is emerging as a key mechanism for the

delivery of the Millennium Development Goals.

Chief Emeka AnyaokuPresident, WWF International

sustaining people | Case studies on reducing poverty through conservation

PAGE 10

AfricaCleaning up toxic chemicals to reduce poverty

4 S U S TA I N I N G P E O P L E

More than 1,000 species of fi sh are found

along the West African coast, together with

dolphins, whales, endangered marine turtles,

monk seals, and one of the world’s most

important coral reefs.

On this coast, the Senegalese town of Kayar was once made prosperous by the surrounding sea. But as fi sh stocks started to collapse, so did the town’s prosperity. According to El Hadj Abdoulaye Ndoye, an 80-year old town elder, a day at sea used to provide enough fi sh for the entire community. Now, two days of fi shing can often yield nothing.

Clear culprits include European Union trawl-ers fi shing off the coast, which although contrib-uting much of Senegal’s foreign exchange, are

Restoring fi sh stocks

devaluing the country’s natural resource base. Another problem is the abundance of traditional fi shing boats from coastal Senegalese communi-ties, some of which use highly destructive fi shing methods and inappropriate equipment that can not be sustained by the fi shery.

Since the recent establishment of a partly locally-managed marine protected area, which will allow for some fi sh to recover, Kayar has become a signal of hope for other communities in a similar situation. In addition, local commu-nities have banned destructive fi shing methods like dynamite fi shing and the discard of non-biodegradable nets. Well-organized community groups have also taken more control of the way fi sh are transported from Kayar’s beach to the markets in the capital, Dakar. This has increased the return from fi shing, contributing to a better fi shery and a better environment.

WWF and partner organizations have also been assisting the Senegalese government to negotiate better outcomes from its offshore fi shery. In Kayar, for instance, WWF has been supporting efforts to reverse the decline of the artisanal fi shing sector for the benefi t of both the community and the sea. The hope is that the town can become a model that can be replicated in other fi shing centres in West Africa.

There are, of course, continuing challenges with industrial fi shing trawlers straying into artisanal zones and protected areas, and mi-grant fi shers do not always observe the bans and restrictions that are imposed. But Kayar proves there is a link between environmental protection, sustainable resource management, and improved livelihoods.

KAYAR SENEGAL

In Kayar, WWF has been supporting efforts to reverse the decline

of the artisanal fi shing sector for the benefi t of the community and the sea. As a result of a recently

established marine protected area, some fi sh stocks are now likely to recover.


Dongting Lake – China’s second largest

freshwater lake and home to important fi sh and

waterbird populations – has been the focus of a

WWF project to ensure conservation of the area’s

wetlands through sustainable development,

including several alternative livelihood projects.

This is part of WWF’s work with the Chinese government on the Yangtze River and includes the removal of fl ood dykes around thousands of hectares of fl oodplains, once used for inten-sive rice cultivation and urban settlements. WWF China has offered small grants and technical assistance for farmers who lost their fi elds to set up organic pig, duck, and fi sh-breeding facilities.

At the 100 ha Xipanshanzhou restoration site, for example, the project supported several of

these alternative income-generating activities for 147 families, which saw their incomes more than double. In 2000, income attributable to the project was 1,465 yuan (about US$180) per household, in 2003 it was 2,881 yuan (US$355) per house-hold, and in 2004 it was 3,196 yuan (US$395) per household. A survey showed households

A motivated local community and support for alternative

livelihoods contributed to the restoration of some of China’s fl oodplains and

increased wealth for local communities.

Renewing fl oodplains for people and wildlife

LAKEDONGTINGCHINA


Many large intact forests in the Philippines

designated as protected areas overlap with the

ancestral claims of indigenous peoples. This

has resulted in signifi cant confl icts leading to

increased poverty and resource degradation.

Central to the issues of conservation, develop-

ment, and fulfi lling indigenous peoples’ rights

is security through land tenure.

WWF, in close collaboration with other non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and govern-ment agency partners, has assisted the indigenous group Sibuyan Mangyan Tagabukid on Sibuyan Island – long viewed by the local government as illegal squatters – in securing tenure and improv-

participating in the project had a higher income level than those not participating in the project and that higher incomes were received across different income levels, across gender, and across age levels.

In addition to income, other important ben-efi ts have been generated as a result of this project. Most importantly, the overall well-being of participating farmers improved in terms of housing conditions, use of biogas, number of telephones, nutrition, healthcare, and improved ecological conditions. For example, some farm-ers who lost their houses due to fl oods have been able to build new ones as a result of the project, while more than half of the families now use biogas for cooking, which has an added benefi t of saving fi rewood and freeing the time of women for more productive activities.

The project has also contributed to the sustainability of a number of small businesses, many of which have received certifi cation for their organic oranges, tea, lily fl owers, and veg-etables by China’s Organic Development Centre. Furthermore, an association headed by local farmers has taken the responsibility for liveli-hood development and biodiversity conservation in the area, while commercial organic agriculture companies are providing support and marketing advice to farmers and Xipanshanzhou’s organic agriculture association.

A motivated local community, favourable national policies, partnership building, adap-tive management, innovative approaches, and support for alternative livelihood transition has not only contributed to the restoration of the fl oodplains, they have demonstrably increased wealth for local communities.

RecSIBUYANTHE PHILIPPINES

It is the increased level of confi dence

among indigenous people that WWF

regards as one of the most signifi cant results

of the project as they are now

more knowledgeable about environmental laws,

and their rights and responsibilities.


ing natural resource management in and around Mt Guiting-Guiting Natural Park.

Forests cover nearly 75 per cent of Sibuyan Island, making it a striking exception in the Philip-pines as a whole, where a meagre 2 per cent of the country is still forested. But the island is also densely inhabited with many people relying on the forest for timber, agricultural land, fi rewood, and other essentials. While the authorities are trying to dissuade indigenous people from pursuing these activities within the park, WWF-Philippines has focused on providing assistance for developing alternative livelihoods that are sustainable, and at the same time, ensuring that their rights are recognized.

Without proof of land ownership, the indig-enous community on Sibuyan Island – num-bering some 1,600 people – faced threats of

ognizing land rights

eviction from the newly protected Guiting-Guiting area. Also, without the prospect of secure land tenure, there would be no incentive for the indig-enous people to conserve the forest resources and abandon destructive activities. For these reasons, the WWF-supported project decided to give high priority to providing assistance to the communities in the upland zones in and around the protected area.

In 1997, several land tenure options were presented to the indigenous community. After a long, participatory process, and with the assist-ance of several other NGOs, the Certifi cate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) was fi nally award-ed to the Sibuyan people on 17 January 2001 after the claim was checked by local authori-ties to verify plots for agriculture, burial grounds, sacred groves, and hunting and harvesting areas covering rivers, streams, and mountains. After acceptance of the claim, public notices were placed over the island, and advertised in the pro-vincial newspaper.

Villagers agree that awarding the title was an historic event. After a series of community dia-logues, a land-use plan has been developed which identifi es indigenous conservation areas and agricultural areas. In the land-use plan, the indig-enous people have agreed to ban clear-cutting to establish new farms, identifi ed limits to settle-ments along rivers and streams, and banned the use of cymbus, a local pesticide used to catch ulang (freshwater shrimp).

Most importantly, it is the increased level of confi dence among the indigenous people that WWF regards as probably the most signifi cant result of the whole process. They are now more knowledgeable and assertive about environ-mental laws, their rights and responsibilities, and are better prepared to face any outsiders involved in illegal activities in the forests.


Promoting sustainable energy

How do you provide 1.6 billion people

around the world – about a third of them in

sub-Saharan Africa – with access to electricity

when most are not even on a centralized grid?

With the majority of these people living in

poverty, the challenge is to provide power in

an affordable and climate-friendly manner for

the long term.

Electricity plays an important role in the fulfi lment of development goals and human rights as a source of energy, heating, lighting, and refrigeration. WWF and ABB Ltd., a multinational electro-engineering company, teamed up to provide people living in the village of Ngarambe, in southern Tanzania near the Selous Game Reserve, with access to electricity. The project also developed a new business model under which authorities and the villagers themselves agree on a “realistic” price to be paid for the power consumed.

WWF staff have had a long relationship with the local community developed over years of joint projects. This mutual trust was the key to ensur-ing the success of the project. As a fi rst step, ABB laid underground power lines, installed low-voltage equipment such as switches and plugs for key buildings, and trained two village-appointed men to maintain the generator grid once installed. Meters were also installed to prevent individuals from using more electricity than they could afford.

The power supply was switched on in mid-2004 and the benefi ts are already visible: small shops, restaurants, and tailors on the main road in Ngarambe now take advantage of the electric-ity and stay open an additional four hours every night. Also, the local school can hold classes after dark. At the medical centre, the doctor cannow treat his patients at night and is intending to install a refrigerator to store medicine.

Steps are now being taken to replace a tem-porary generator with a cleaner, carbon-neutral, sustainable power source, such as biogas or biofuel. This pilot project paves the way for WWF and ABB involvement in other potential projects in rural Tanzania.

NGARAMBETANZANIA

WWF is helping provide people living in rural Africa

with access to electricity. Small shops and restaurants

in the village of Ngarambe, Tanzania can now stay open an additional

four hours each night.


Nepal’s Terai Arc – an area in the shadow

of the Himalayas covering fi ve million hectares

from Nepal’s Bagmati River in the east to

India’s Yamuna River in the west – is highly

signifi cant in both human and wildlife terms.

Sometimes described as the “ricebowl”

of the country, it is home to some of the

largest surviving populations of Bengal tiger

and greater one-horned rhinoceros.

The densely populated area, however, is currently under extreme ecological pressure, to the detriment of both wildlife and human popula-tions, especially the rural poor. All these issues are compounded by a high level of political insta-bility in the country.

Conserving wildlife habitat through community forestry

WWF has been involved in wildlife conserva-tion in Nepal since 1967. Its integrated conserva-tion and development programme in the 1980s recognized certain species as ecological fl agships for an area which included human settlements and their associated needs and aspirations.

An analysis carried out in the Terai Arc identi-fi ed that rural livelihoods are heavily dependent on forests, which are home to many wildlife species. Habitat conservation has benefi ted not only the wildlife, but also the livelihoods of the rural poor in signifi cant ways. Conservation of and access to forest resources has provided regional communi-ties with everyday fuel, food, fodder for animals, building materials, agricultural and household tools, and medicine.

Sustainable management practices through community forestry are restoring corridors in the landscape, connecting protected areas essential

TERAI ARCNEPAL

On average a community forest users’ group can earn US$4,760 annually

from a variety of sources including tourism, timber, fuelwood, or non-timber

forest products. The user groups empower women to participate in management and

decision making.


As much as 50,000 tonnes of obsolete stock-

piles of pesticides are leaking into Africa’s

environment, contaminating soil, water, air, and

food sources. These hazardous chemicals are

a signifi cant threat, particularly to the poorest

communities on the continent where dangers

are compounded by unsafe water supplies

and working conditions, illiteracy, and lack of

political empowerment.

Access to a healthy and safe environment is diffi cult for poor people when they live, work, or play in close proximity to toxic substances, such as persistent organic pollutants (POPs) – a growing concern and priority for the inter-national community. Multilateral agreements on POPs, pesticides, and biodiversity help protect the environment, but their implementation must demonstrate justice and equity, and prioritize the interests and needs of the poor.

WWF’s work in the Africa Stockpiles Pro-gramme – a multi-stakeholder partnership being implemented over a 12- to 15-year period – aims at clearing all obsolete pesticide stocks from

Cleanito red

for the dispersal and survival of the tiger and other species. Forest user groups are proving to be resilient governance structures that are mak-ing it possible for conservation work to continue during periods of confl ict.

Results of the project show that resource management by local communities is providing perhaps the only workable model of governance in remote, confl ict-torn regions. Enabling local people to become resource managers, ben-efi ciaries, and stewards is a key strategy which also recognizes that species conservation goals cannot be achieved in isolation. Community forestry is legally mandated in the country and gives forest user groups clear rights and respon-sibilities that provide them with access, use, and measurable economic gains. On average, a com-munity forest users’ group can earn US$4,760 annually from a variety of sources including tourism, timber, fuelwood, and non-timber for-est products. The groups empower women to participate in management and decision making.

WWF’s species conservation programme has demonstrably assisted the local community by diversifying on and off-farm economic activity, strengthening resource management and entre-preneurial skills, and providing support structures such as small credit and marketing schemes. Im-provements to local infrastructure include reno-vated school buildings, small irrigation schemes, healthcare centres, subsidiary roads, micro-hydro schemes, fuelwood-effi cient stoves, bio-gas plants, and toilets.

Political confl ict has caused setbacks in the achievement of conservation goals and the opti-mal benefi ts to be gained. But over a longer term, wildlife habitat conservation through community forestry management in Nepal protects and en-hances the resource base, promotes sustainable use of resources, and benefi ts communities.

AFRICA

Enabling local people

to become resource managers

is a key strategy, recognizing that

species conservation goals

cannot be achieved in isolation.


Africa and putting in place measures to help pre-vent their recurrence. By reducing and remov-ing long-standing toxic threats, this innovative project offers real on-the-ground solutions and promotes improved public health, environmen-tal safety measures, and poverty reduction – all critical elements of sustainable development.

In sub-Saharan Africa, the average poverty rate is well over 50 per cent, with a majority of poor people living and working in rural areas. Clean-ing up the environment markedly improves the natural resource base and quality of life of even

ng up toxic chemicals uce poverty

the poorest rural communities. In addition, an unpolluted environment and clean agricultural production have important implications for both subsistence and commercial activities, with potential for creating export opportunities and improving the value and marketability of crops. These factors in turn lead to better health, greater revenues, and increased employment opportunities.

By reducing long-standing toxic threats, the Africa Stockpiles Programme offers

real solutions on the ground, and promotes improved public health and environmental safety measures,

as well as poverty reduction – all critical elements of sustainable development.

It is estimated that some 1.6 billion people

worldwide depend on forests for their

livelihoods, with 60 million indigenous people

depending directly on forests for their

subsistence. Recent estimates put the rate

of natural forest loss at over 14.6 million

hectares each year. That’s 30 hectares

every minute.

One-third of the world’s population live

in countries experiencing moderate to

severe water problems. More than one billion

people worldwide do not have access

to safe drinking water, while 2.6 billion do not

have adequate sanitation services. The

annual death toll from water-borne diseases

is estimated at more than three million.

Fish from our oceans provide the principal

source of protein for more than 1billion

people, but more than 70 per cent of the

world’s fi sheries are classifi ed as “over-

exploited”, and unsustainable fi shing threatens

the economy and traditional livelihoods

of communities throughout the world.

It is estimated that a total of 15,589 species

face extinction. One in three amphibians and

almost half of all freshwater turtles are threat-

ened, on top of the one in eight birds and one

in four mammals known to be in jeopardy.

The following photographs have been supplied by the WWF-Canon Photo Database:

Cover: Elizabeth Kemf, Fred F. Hazelhoff;page 2/3: Jo Benn, Yifei Zhang, Michel Gunther, Donald Miller; page 4: Olivier Van Bogaert, Jo Benn; page 5: Yifei Zhang (2), Derk Kuiper; page 8: Edward Parker; page 9: Michel Gunther (2); page10: Jeff Foott; page 11: Donald Miller, Tanya Peterson

We also thank ABB (page 8) and Bureau M&O (pages 2 and 6/7) for additional photographs.

Design: Wassmer Graphic Design NyonPrinted by: Nové Impression et Conseil SA on Aconda mat, FSC, 170gm2 *

*Aconda contains 40% recycled fi bre (10% pre-consumer and 30% post-consumer waste) and 60% virgin wood fi bre of which at least 50% is from well-managed forests certifi ed in accordance with the rules of FSC. The printer, Nové Impression et Conseil SA, holds FSC chain of custody SQSCOC-2253.

© 1996 Forest Stewardship Council AC.

Published in September 2005 by WWF – World Wide Fund For Nature (Formerly World Wildlife Fund), Gland, Switzerland. Any reproduction in full or in part of this publication must mention the title and credit the above-mentioned publisher as the copyright owner.

© text 2005 WWF. All rights reserved.

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WWF International

Avenue du Mont-Blanc1196 GlandSwitzerland

Tel: +41 22 364 9111Fax: +44 22 364 3239

WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by:

• conserving the world’s biological diversity

• ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable

• promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

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